You only need to stir if you want those hotel style globe shaped poached eggs, if you do stir AFTER you drop the egg in and before it sets and it’s a gentle swirl rather than a fast stir to gather up the whispy bits and not centrifuge them out.
no vinegar… taints the flavour and just not necessary.
freah eggs if poss but not a deal breaker. But at room temp, not out of the fridge.
break eggs into a Ramakin and lower them into the water as gently as you can. Water shouldn’t be boiling and should be still, I.e. not bubbling. Eggs poach at something like 65 degrees so no need for the water to be boiling. I normally bring to boil, lower heat and leave it for a short time for the temp to drop a bit and the water to calm down. Keep the gas on the lowest for the duration of the poaching.
works for me every time. A very quick and convenient routine. I’ve used egg poaching gadgets before but just another thing to wash and no more convenient in the end, so just use this method.